Maybe it's just me, but inspiring people so they will actually buy your product feels like a daunting task. In this series, titled Inspire, I'm going to share several posts exploring what I have been learning about inspiration in marketing.

"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it"-Simon Sniek

How do you even begin to formulate an inspirational marketing message? You start with why. WHY is what everything about your business will be built upon. When I say why, I'm talking about why do you do whatever it is you do. Why do you make your product? Why do you provide the services you offer? That is what you must first ask yourself.

My specific question was, why am I a logo designer? At first I didn't really have an answer for this besides the fact that I have a passion for designing. I'm passionate about designing logos... want to hire me to make you one? That statement doesn't exactly inspire and give you goosebumps.

I began to ponder what I like and don't like about logo design. What boiled to the surface was my hate for pre-made logos. Businesses use these because they think they are an easy, inexpensive (even though it really isn't ) way to make a logo. These logos are cliche and often trendy. What happens to trends? They go out of style eventually. Logos should have lasting power. Uniqueness gives them lasting power.

It occurred to me that everyone has a unique signature. A logo is the signature of a business. It can't be like everyone else's. Out of this belief came the answer to my why question. I create logos because the signature of your brand should set you apart from everyone else. This belief has become the driving force behind the logos I design. What is your why? Why do you do what you do?

A style guideis a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization, or field. - Wikipedia

WHY HAVE ONE

Okay now that you know the definition of a style guide, you're probably thinking why is this important to me as a small business owner, and what are these standards that Wikipedia is talking about?

When a suspect is being questioned, are they more or less trustworthy when their story is consistent or inconsistent? Obviously you are more likely to trust someone if their story is consistent. The same is true of brands.

Think of a large retailer that you like and trust. Do they use the same font on their website as they do in magazine ads? Do they use different imagery in their television ads than they use on their in-store banners? Successful companies are consistent with the visuals of their brand. When a businesses doesn't do this, they run the risk of confusing their customers. It comes off as lazy and untrustworthy. This is where a style guide helps. It creates standards for you to follow so that your brand looks consistent across all platforms.

WHAT'S IN IT

Now that you know why your business needs a style guide, you may be wondering what should be in your style guide. What's in a style guide will depend on your specific needs. Are you a writer creating a blog? How about a photographer who needs a watermark for your photos. Maybe you are a coffee shop that needs a logo, menu and Facebook ads. Here are a few examples of things you may want in your style guide.

CLEAR SPACEWhen designing a logo, the designer will specify the minimum amount of empty space around the logo. This is referred to as the clear space. Any text or design elements are placed outside of this buffer. The purpose of it is to maintain the visual impact of the logo.

TYPOGRAPHYTypography is a huge part of design so style guides usually have rules for how and when it is used. It may specify what font is used for headlines, sub headlines, and body text. The style guide may be simple, or as specific as to what the point size and tracking should be set to.

COLORColor can be a powerful tool. Color can set the mood of a design. Studies have shown that different colors are associated with different emotions. A style guide will give a business a specific color palette to work with. It will specify the primary colors and secondary colors that are to be used less often. The guide will also give the specific RGB, CMYK, HEX and sometimes Pantone numbers for the colors.

That's it. That is why you need a style guide and a few things you can put in yours. If you need help with a logo and visual branding, I would love to partner with you. Just message me and check out my work on my website and Instagram.

A few days ago I submitted my final logo design for a client's photography business. The process of watching an idea come to fruition is one of the more fascinating things. In this video I show various concepts I had for my clients logo. It highlights how each idea continued to evolve into a more complete creation. You can see the style guide for this logo and more on my website.